How to Be Confident in Front of an Audience

Preparation helps prevent your nerves from getting the better of you in front of an audience.

Be prepared, know your stuff and be bold enough to directly engage your audience. If you do all of these things you’ll grow more comfortable and confident being in front of an audience. This is not to say that you won’t experience anxiety at the prospect of standing before a large crowd as the center of their attention. The nerves, however, will more quickly go away and you will be better able to find your groove if you follow a simple strategy.

Study Your Topic

Dedicate yourself to learning the ins and outs of the subject matter you will be speaking about in front of an audience. You will undoubtedly stumble across many things about the subject that interests you. The more knowledgeable you are, the more personal interest you have and the more passionate you are about the subject of your presentation. This will make you more confident when talking about your subject.

Put it in Writing

Write a speech, but don’t intend to use it. The written speech is just a fallback. It’s there for you if, during your presentation, you feel at a loss for words. Also, create an outline of your presentation. The outline should highlight the main ideas of your speech. Your goal is to use the outline as a reference point to keep you on track as you speak. It’s easier to connect with an audience and excite their interest if you stand before them and simply speak to them. Conversely, it’s much harder to connect with an audience if you stand before them and read. That’s why the written speech you prepare is only there as a backup. Give yourself a chance to directly engaging the audience. With this approach you’re more likely to get a sense that you're developing a rapport with at least some of them. Consequently, your confidence will grow.

Practice

Rehearse your presentation. Stand in front of a mirror and perform your presentation. Recruit your family and friends to be your practice audience. Tape yourself presenting your speech in front of them. This will help you smooth out the kinks in your presentation. Use your analysis of the tape and the feedback you receive from your family and friends to help better your performance. You will be more confident in front of the real audience if you feel you’re coming before them with polished material.

Talk to Yourself

Give yourself a pep talk before you step out in front of the audience. Remind yourself that you studied the material and you know what you’re talking about. Take a moment to relish in the interest you’ve developed for the topic. Focus on the excitement and the passion you have for the subject. This will divert your attention away from feeding your anxiety by imagining nightmare scenarios of how many ways you could make a fool of yourself in front of the audience.

In Front of the Crowd

Periodically make eye contact with a friendly face in the audience. Pretend, for a moment, that you're only talking to this one engaged person. This helps you stay settled and counteracts feelings of being overwhelmed from the notion that you're the center of attention of a large crowd.

References

• University of Southern Florida: Speaker's Anxiety
• University of Pittsburgh: Speech Anxiety